NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH, N.C. — A West Virginia teenage boy is recovering from injuries after he was bitten by a shark while vacationing on a North Carolina beach.
It happened around 12:30 p.m. Sunday when Blayne Brown, 14, was standing in waist deep water with a friend at North Topsail Beach.
Brown’s friend saw the shark’s fin, but he did not. He told police he didn’t even know he was bitten. At first, he thought he felt seaweed brush up against his leg. Once he realized what happened, he stumbled out of the water and collapsed on the sand.
North Topsail Beach Police Chief William Younginer said first responders were able to respond to Brown’s injuries within a couple of minutes after beachgoers helped flag them down. He was rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery for injuries to his leg and arm.
“I had two officers already at that access on another call and EMS happened to be there on another call,” Younginer told MetroNews Wednesday. “The officers ran out and the bystanders had pulled the young man out and were applying towels to him to stop the bleeding.”
Younginer said shark sightings are common, but attacks are rare. The last shark attack to occur at North Topsail Beach was in 2018. He said his officers are always prepared to respond.
“We have a lot of beach rescues and things like that. I can’t tell you when the last shark bite happened here. We get people who step on stingrays and things like that. The officers carry tourniquets and things like that just in case,” he said.
Police said people should not be afraid to go into the ocean but to be aware of their surroundings as sharks live in the water. Younginer said this latest attack can serve as a teaching moment for everyone swimming in the ocean.
“The biggest thing when you’re swimming or you’re visiting down here that you should be concerned about is sharks and things like that, you shouldn’t be afraid, but you should be ready for rip currents. Teach your kids about rip currents,” the chief said.
Brown was released from the hospital Tuesday and is expected to make a full recovery.
WECT-TV in Wilmington, N.C. posted photos of Brown on their website.